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MuddyWitch wrote:The other reason we do it is they're acceptable in "smokeless" zones & hubby, daughter & her b/f catch different buses...loadsa Metros! (free papers).

btw we dry ours in the polytunnel

MW

What's a polytunnel?

GabrielGadfly,
T'is easier to show you:

http://www.firsttunnels.co.uk/?gclid=CJ ... GgodDWDWDQ

Do you not have these East of the Pond?

MW

Hi
A simple home log maker can i know be made with the following
An jaw shaped piece off metal Weld on an old bottle jack to the bottom and a lid to the top
make a metal frame with a movable bottom

Slot box full off paper between jaws and use jack to compress the paper
Al arger system can use a hydraulic press used for removign bearing from a hub

Please note that great caution has to be taken when using hydrauics under pressure and i am not responsible fro any injury if the larger system is tried

I have stuck to the smaller safer system Though you will end up with muscels like Charley Atlas it is better safe than sorry

You can get a log maker from http://www.green-shopping.co.uk/product ... ucts1.html which doesn't require any soaking and the logs are instantly ready to burn. I've got one, but not used it yet. Costs £27.95 but I'm sure this will soon be recouped, as when we're camping in early spring/late autumn, we do go through quite a lot of fuel.

That's the type that I have - relatively useless I am afraid, I just chuck stuff into the stove now, doesn't seem to make any difference to the speed at which things burn.

They might be good for small pieces of paper, to keep them together and looking neat, but I usually stuff mine in small cardoard boxes (tissue boxes, cracker boxes, etc)

This sounds like just the kind of child-labour activity that might keep my 2 occupied for a minute or so.
Thankfully my dad made me a steel press for paper making, so maybe I can adapt it for bricks as well.

Great timely thread for me as I was about to ask the same question... So can I assume that the machines sold for this purpose are not really worthwhile and that pressing and drying are the two key features of a home based solution?

You are right about the pressing and drying, but unless you can make your own press I think it is money well spent. We have had a lot of use from ours, but there is no point in making them in the winter, they need sun! As do I! pbf

We make our own without any tools - you can read about them here: http://its-us-and-the-kids.blogspot.com ... -coal.html

They work a treat and have saved us loads in money as well as recyclying our post/free newspapers etc

Thanks for the advice both - Nice information Sal, sounds like a job for the spring!